How to Woo Properly
by tmwillson3
Summary: It's story time, and Sarah has much to share! Now that she is getting married to Jareth, she is telling her bridal party all about him: how they met again, how their friendship continued, and how Jareth finally managed to woo Sarah, properly. This is a continuation/expanding of a story written by Kyndsie (see author's notes).
1. Chapter 1: Sweet Revenge

**Author's Disclaimer: No, I do not own Labyrinth in any way, shape, or form. I keep wishing, but nothing happens. New Story! See notes below for its inspiration. It's Sarah's bachelorette party before her wedding to Jareth, and it's story time, namely, how did they get together. We start at the beginning, their first meeting and reason for coming together. This story is meant to be from Sarah's POV, so I have edited it slightly. **If you see **words in bold**, then those words are Sarah's personal thoughts, as she tells the story. If _words are italicized_, then it is a conversation that happened in the past that Sarah is telling. If the words are normal, then it is the conversation between Sarah and the bridal party.** I hope you like it!**

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How To Woo Properly

Chapter 1: Sweet Revenge

"Now, as you all know, I am getting married in a week. Because of that, I am in a _very _good mood right now, and feeling particularly happy and romantic right now. As a result, if there are any burning questions you lovely ladies wanted to ask me, now is the time to ask. Well, who wants the first one?"

"Sarah, dear, while we know how you met Jareth, we don't know how you started seeing Jareth again. When was it, senior year of college?"

"Yes, it was, Karen. You first met him at my graduation party, though I actually first met him a little before that. Shall I tell you of how Jareth saved me, and together we had sweet revenge on that jerk, Dick Suttons?"

"Yes, do tell us!"

"Very well, it is a sweet story after all."

"Well, as you all know, I had been dating Dick for about two years. Everything was going fine, until he decided that he wanted to take things to the next level, or as he likes to call it: 'Cross another great bridge together'. I, however, was not entirely ready to get hitched right out of college, for various reasons. So, with that in mind, I told him as nicely as possible, and he acted like I had just insulted his mother for no reason! Next thing I know, he is changing the locks on _my _apartment (he only had the keys after all, not living with me even), sending passive-aggressive texts and voicemails of how we could be very happy together, but since I am stupid and insensitive, we shall forever be apart, or worse."

"Naturally, most of friends believed that I was not the insensitive one in this relationship, but the big problem was that about two weeks after the break-up, we were supposed to go to a party together. Dear Jessie was having her engagement party, cute dear that she is in hosting my party now, and it was all about to be very awkward. Going alone would have been fine, except then I found out, oh! Not only is The Dick coming, but he is bringing his new girlfriend! What nerve! And only three days before the party. At this point, all I want to do is hide in a hole, or go strangle the large neck off of the person who calls himself a gentleman."

"However, I am not a weeping maiden, so I decided to tough it out. And then that resolution lasted about ten seconds before I went into despair. And so, after crying yet again over that jerk of a Dick, I said very quietly, 'I wish I had someone to go with to make a fool of Dick.'"

"It was a simple enough wish, so when I went outside to go for a walk, I was rather surprised when I ran into Jareth, ran being the operative. It was like magic or something! He just seemed to suddenly appear out of a corner! Next thing I know, we are talking, catching up, and he notices how sad I look, so I tell him my problem, and he, being the _gentleman _that he is, suggests himself. Imagine my surprise! But, if I knew anything, I knew he would do: few can make an entrance like Jareth can."

**Oh, I feel so bad that I have to hide this part of the story, but I have no choice, as they will be really confused otherwise. If only it had been outside, but no, that was not Jareth. No sooner had that been said that suddenly, a window opened, winds started to blow, and the lights flickered. The feeling of dread from years ago for my dear stepbrother came back with a start, and then Jareth appeared in all his glory, with flowing cape, dark leather pants, and glitter everywhere, in the middle of my living room, where I was bawling my eyes out. **

"_Sarah, you look awful. Why do you waste tears on such a horrible person?"_

"_It's nice to see you again, too, Goblin King."_

"_So formal are we still, Sarah? Surely, after all this time, you can call me Jareth now. Now, it is about time you broke up with that dolt of an idiot, Dick Sucks, or whoever he is. Really, you can do so much better."_

"_Glad to know you are still as stalkerish as ever, Jareth. _Such_ a gentleman."_

"_Always for you, Precious. Now, about that wish. Do you really wish to make him pay for making you miserable and for thinking himself good enough for you? If so, I _humbly _and readily offer my services."_

"_I'm sure you do. However, in this case, you are right. I want to make him regret the day he ever dared to make me mad! For even thinking that he is better! I want to make him cry to his 'Dear Mummy' loudly! So, how do you propose to do so?"_

"Obviously, I was not in the best of mindsets after so much crying, but it could hardly be helped. I wanted to make him pay, one way or the other. If he really thought someone could replace me so easily, he was about to see that it was not the case, and that I was just as capable, even if all I really wanted was to swear off men for six months. Jareth would do very, very well. Another hour of discussion as to what to wear and act quickly settled my mind enough that I slept quite gleefully for the first time in two weeks without waking up once."

"Come the night of the big event, all was set to go. All that was left was to show everyone just how well I could rally too."

"So, of course Jareth came on time, picked me up, and off we went to Jessie's party. Dick was already there, with his new model, who hung on his every word and muscled, chiseled body. Everyone was disgusted that he came, for no one actually knew what we had planned, so it was a great surprise when I came to the door and announced that I had brought a date."

"Naturally, we made such a cute couple that we had Dick burning several bridges in an effort to avoid the fact that we were ever together, and his girlfriend had the good sense to ogle Jareth long and hard. For the first time in my life, I did not feel bad about staring at those wonderful leather pants of Jareth's and seeing the effect. He was mine, after all."

"After that, it was no contest. Everyone knew I was just doing this to get back at Dick, and it worked great. Dick was gone with his model in less than ten minutes, and everyone really warmed to Jareth, engaging him in conversation and what he thought of the university and of graduating soon. He was in political science, and hence how I had met him since we had both taken Political Science 101 together freshman year. At the end of the night, Jareth had numbers from half the people there, about setting up different events and nights with the boys. And then he walked me home."

"It was a really nice night overall, and so when we got back and had declared the night a success, I thought it would be okay if I let Jareth kiss me. Once again, never underestimate Jareth. Why I let him kiss me when we are arguing, I shall never know. It's bad enough he always gets his way, so when we finally don't agree, naturally he has to get his way by using dirty, underhanded tactics like taking me in his arms, telling me he loves me, and then kissing me until I forget why we were arguing to begin with. Definitely a lost cause, I think."

"But anyways, after that kiss, Jareth asked if I would be willing to see him again. I told him my intention to swear off men for six months, and while he seemed upset, he kept it to himself, saying that he understood. But, in the meantime, should I ever need him; I just had to call."

"That I definitely kept in mind."

**And so the girls sighed over how my friendship with Jareth began again.**

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**Author's Notes: Thanks for reading/commenting! Anyway, this story is a continuation/spin-off of another story written by Kyndsie, All's Fair at the County Fair (read it here art/All-s-Fair-at-the-County-Fair-Labyrinth-FF-327 466467 ). She gives some good background, and I really want to fill it in with details and silly things. You should definitely read it if you haven't already! Updates should be coming **_**fairly **_**weekly (biweekly I figure), now that I have had time to plan this whole story out and have a few chapters done. Thanks again for reading!**


	2. Chapter 2: A Party to Remember

**Author's Disclaimer: No, I do not own Labyrinth or Carmina Burana; all rights to respective owners. I present Chapter 2! Also, a reminder about formatting. **If you see **words in bold**, then those are Sarah's personal thoughts, as she tells the story. If _words are italicized_, then it is a conversation that happened in that past that Sarah is telling. If the words are normal, then it is the conversation between Sarah and the bridal party.** And now for more interesting details into how Jareth neatly manages to insert himself back into Sarah's life. I hope you like it!**

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Chapter 2: A Party to Remember

"So, Sarah, had you any idea at that time what Jareth was planning to do?"

"No, Jessie, not at all. It was a huge surprise to me. It helped that he was actually staying away from me, making me think otherwise that he was not planning anything. But that's Jareth for you."

"After that, we got to finally get to know him. That was fun."

"Yes, Karen, after you heard from some little bird that I was seeing someone again, I had no choice but to bring him to my graduation party. You were so insistent!"

"But I had to be! Otherwise, you would have had some serious problems of a different sort."

"Yes, well, it was in the end a very good idea."

"Well, what happened? Tell those of us who met you after college, silly."

"Alright, well, about a week before graduation, Karen calls me and tells me that she wants to meet the new mystery boyfriend who went to Jessie' s party, and so I panicked. I had no boyfriend, but then I remembered Jareth. How Karen had found out, I never thought to consider, but I knew that I was going to have to talk to Jareth."

"And so, I called Jareth, and before too long, we met and figured things out."

"Somehow, before I knew it, we had agreed that we had known each other for four years, that he had come along to comfort me after Dick, and shortly after going to the party together, we decided to go out permanently since we liked each other so much. It all worked out so well, almost as though he had been preparing for it or something."

**Which he had, of course. I found out, much later after that party. But only after I was secured, naturally. If there was one thing that Jareth was good at, it was making everything **_**very**_** convenient. Jareth was in a very good mood once I called.**

"_Hello, Precious. To whom do I owe the pleasure of seeing you again?"_

"_My stepmother, Karen. She wants to meet you."_

"_Lovely. I want to meet her, too. Though I really want to meet your little brother, Jareth Junior."_

"_His name is Toby."_

"_Ah yes, young Tobias. He must be getting much bigger now."_

"_He is. Gained a few inches. And talks now. Much too much if you ask me."_

"_I could always take him with me. I have always had a fondness for him."_

"_No thank you, Jareth. I would like to keep him for a very long time. Anyways, the party is about a week from now, so if you want to meet me here around 11:00, that would be perfect. We will walk in together and pretend to be a couple again, just like last time."_

"_Perfect. I look forward to the outing."_

"And so, the day of the party came, and we walked in together, arm-in-arm, a seemingly happy couple. Of course, my family was _so_ glad to finally meet the new boyfriend, and Jareth was only too ready to meet and talk to them and get into their good graces. It even seemed that Jareth had been planning for this event, too."

"I regretted having to give this lie to my family, but, low and behold, something else happened. Jareth was smirking and smiling away, and then suddenly, stops and looks, prompted by a sound, and he says: 'Why is that loser here? What does he think he is doing here? Does he really think he belongs here?'"

"And so, now that everyone else was looking, I decided to look, and who should be there, but Dick. He was not in a good mood, to say the least. Of course he was alone, and very angry. And then he opened his mouth."

"_Alright, where is he, where is this boyfriend of hers? I wish to see him. I don't think he actually exists, as I am far too good for her and she was just trying to get rid of me, but really in fact we do belong together. Where is he?"_

**There are days when you really should be careful what you wish for. This time was one of them for poor Dick. **

"At that particular moment, he really should not have opened his mouth. But you don't hear me complaining about it. And so, not moments after opening his mouth, he finally got to meet 'the boyfriend', as he was termed."

**Suddenly, Jareth made his grand entrance, and oh, what an entrance. He had disappeared from his seat, the jeans and normal clothes gone, in exchange for a great black cape, wind, flickering lights, and for some strange reason, there was some very epic music playing in the background. Strangely, it seemed to be coming from "Carmina Burana"….**

"And so, Jareth appeared in front of the dearly beloved Dick. Of course he said, 'Why are you here? You weren't even invited. Why would you come and ruin such a wonderful day for Sarah with your nonsense and complete lack of civility and kindness toward her? You were the one who broke up with her, you should be begging for forgiveness from her right now. You, sir, should get up, turn around, and leave now, or else I will help you leave.'"

"Of course, being as big as Dick was, he was not entirely worried at first. After Jareth's entrance with a large flowing black cape, wind, and lights, it did not daunt him completely, to his misfortune. And so, he did what all self-serving, self-righteous, ignorant men do on such occasions: they open mouth and insert foot. Royally."

"_So you're Jareth, I believe. You haven't even been here all that long. My friends don't even remember you at all. Do you realize what she is doing to you? She is stringing you along, just to get back at me. We both know that she is a liar, and that she is not to be trusted. But we also know that she has many feminine arts and guiles, to trick us. And so I am here to save you the trouble by taking her back. However, before I do, I will not take her back until she begs for my complete forgiveness. You understand don't you?"_

"_No, I do not. I don't quite see it the same way as you. You see, I am dating Sarah currently, and I will _never_ give her up. That I can promise you. This was not a form of convenience for both of us. Certainly, if it drives you away, sniveling, obsequious, little snot of a bum that you are, then yes it is a good thing to happen as she would never want to pollute her good name with yours. Now, you must leave, or else you leave me no choice but to throw you out. Believe me, I will. I will not stand to have my Precious Sarah's name to be bandied about and besmirched like this as you do now. Beware, I have been generous up 'til now. I can be cruel. This is your last chance to do as I ask, or else."_

"Now, despite the fact that Jareth is now standing over Dick, wearing something to appear taller than Dick (or maybe it was just the great hair), Dick was ready for a fight. He really should not have gone there. So what does the great, blithering idiot do? Why, he just begins to yell even more."

"_What do you mean, "_Your_ Precious Sarah"? I doubt she would want to belong to someone who looks as silly as you. You practically sparkle. What men these days sparkle? Not real men at least that I know of. But, nonetheless, you sir, do not know what you ask for. You are asking for eternal torture, to always be left wanting more all the time. You really don't understand what you are getting yourself into. I highly suggest that you do not go through with this. Don't tell me what I can and cannot do! I have known her and dated her for far longer than you have known her, so you can just leave now while I am still being kind to you. I have been nice until now, but Sarah owes me an apology. And you are still standing in my way. Get out of my way!"_

"As you can imagine, Jareth was not pleased at this prospect. And so, he would have to straighten the poor loser out. If he was going to try his patience, he might as well give him an idea of all that he was capable of. How bad could that be? Karen, stop chuckling and ruining the story!"

"I can't help it, Sarah."

"At least try to keep a straight face. You know perfectly well what he is capable of, but the rest of the girls want to know."

"And so, in his condescending, most regal, nonchalant, "get lost" tone, Jareth responded, 'Oh little beast, you do not understand who you are dealing with. I am not leaving for a very, very long time. That I can promise you. Getting rid of me will be much harder that getting rid of you, as at least I will fight for her, unlike you. You run away, criticize, make fun of her, and do everything possible to hurt her. She is a strong, beautiful woman who deserves every bit of respect that you can muster. I don't think you realize how much trouble you are in right now for saying that.'"

"_I am perfectly aware of what I am saying. So what are you going do about it, sparkly pants-girly boy?"_

"_Oh, I'll tell you what I am going to do about it, insolent fool who does not understand. I will make you pay dearly. I hope you like being publicly humiliated, because that is what I am going to do to you."_

**What followed was laughter from a guy who didn't realize that the very serious look on Jareth's face was not a face to laugh at. In fact, it was the one that was feared, had nightmares about, and was avoided by all costs by all goblins who lived there.**

"_I suggest that you retract that statement right now. I am most seriously displeased."_

"But, poor Dick, being who and what he is, only continued to laugh. Oh, how Jareth was going to enjoy this. It was easy to see what form was best for Dick to make the poor sucker pay most dearly and run away the fastest. Dick was broad-shouldered, could bench press a lot, could have joined the football team had he been so inclined, and overall was very proud of his achievements."

**Light bulb.**

"Jareth could take care of that slight change in stature quite quickly. The poor guy didn't know what hit him, literally and figuratively."

"While laughing at Jareth, Dick did not notice the slight change in Jareth's face, a look of cold condescension, to something like anger."

**This was the face that goblins saw right before they were sent into the bog of eternal stench and begged for mercy. This guy, however, did not have the good sense, if he had any to begin with, to beg for mercy. Poor guy. It was nice knowing him. **

"He was going to pay through the nose. That much was certain. Seeing as Jareth was in a generous mood, he planned to enjoy every second of it. He was not normally insulted, so Jareth loved being the cause of such dreadful humiliation. Oh the many joys of public humiliation. He decided that the first humiliating thing to be done was to give proper verbal and physical humiliation in correct doses."

"_Your time has come to an end, Dick. You must go now."_

"Dick of course was still laughing at this point, but he had presence of mind to see Jareth move, and so he moved into a better position to better injure Jareth when Jareth came at him. This was easy enough for him as he was a wrestler by nature. He was all ready for Jareth."

"_Give me your best shot! I dare you!"_

"_Oh, I dare." _

"And so, in only moments, there were flying punches to the head/nose and stomach, followed by a flying tackle to the ground. They then proceeded to wrestle while yelling at one another. The first thirty seconds were interesting, as Jareth continued to smile while everyone paid close attention as he fought valiantly for me. But, Jareth was not in a sporting mood now, so there was a quick punch to the head, knocking out poor Dick stone-cold to the ground, while Jareth sat as regally as possible on top of Dick, smiling smugly."

_Jareth announced, "I don't understand; one moment he was fighting, the next he was on the ground. I guess he really doesn't care about you that much, Sarah. I don't know why you chose such wimpy men. Anyways, here is dirt and trash. Let us be rid of it. Let us continue with our party for Sarah. This is her day, after all. We shall not have any more interruptions of this sort, I think." _

"Jareth continued to try to sit regally on Dick, but what he was not expecting was my response to this. I was watching this, open-mouthed and surprised by how he had fought for me and supported me throughout the fight with his words. My favorite phrase while fighting had been, 'If you ever try to see Sarah again, I will personally make sure that you never see a wrestling mat ever again! Never again will you be able to see a wrestling mat without screaming in pain and begging Sarah for forgiveness. You will ask for forgiveness from her, and you will learn how to obey me, and how to respect Sarah, and how to treat other women well. You, sir, have no concept of this, and so you shall learn from me. Prepare, sir, for this is your last battle with me.'"

"After that, poor Dick was quite gone, with one last look of complete terror as Jareth proceeded to punch whatever life was left in his body quite out of existence. By now, Jareth was concentrating on taking care of Dick, and I was in shock. That shock soon turned to happiness."

"As Jareth got up and wiped the dirt away, I came running at Jareth and proceeded to hug him and gave him all the thanks he could ever ask for. A very happy Sarah was now surrounding Jareth, which was more than he was hoping for, so we enjoyed our moment as everyone looked on with pleasure. Jareth was only too willing to carry out this moment for as long as **possible by reordering time in order to get more time with me**. Nonetheless, he got his time, and he could easily let go and my hand, and escorted me back to my seat to comfort me further."

"It only took fifteen minutes, however, before his self-serving thoughts intervened, being Jareth and all, to take advantage of the situation."

"_Jareth, how can I ever thank you? I owe you so much!"_

"_Well, I know you would do the same for me, and I only want the best for you. Consider this a small token of how much I care about you. I will never let anyone or anything come between us."_

**I did not take this promise as seriously as I should have, but then it had been some time since I had seen him and had forgotten how seriously he took his promises.**

"_Well, you have to let me pay you back somehow, in some small way for this. Isn't there something that I could do for you?"_

"_Well, I can think of something," said Jareth casually, heading to the center of the room. "Let me put it to you this way," he said, as the noise in the room suddenly died down and everyone watched expectantly. "I know how you can make it up to me, Sarah. You can agree to go out with me in a week. Next Saturday, together. Just agree that you will spend time with me and no one else."_

**I was, to say the least, a little shocked that he had wanted to do it. Certainly he cared based on his words and deeds of the day, but did he really feel it, after all this time and my responses up until that point? **

"And so, I did what any flattered girl would do in such a situation: I said yes."

"_Just pick me up at six, Jareth."_

"Jareth smiled his smug little smile, kissed my hand and cheek, and led me back to my seat. It was not until I was walking back to my seat that I realized that everyone had been watching. Why was it necessary for everyone to be watching?"

"Little bells were going off in my head then. Uh oh, he is planning something."

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**Author's Notes: Another chapter, yay! Here, we have a party gone wrong, and a face-off to remember. I always imagined that if Jareth were confronted, his jealous, protective side would come out in full force. And he is not afraid to speak his mind. Thanks for reading/commenting!**

Labyrinthlovers5: Yay! Thanks so much for the positive feedback! I'm so glad to hear from you! Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter, too!


	3. Chapter 3: The First Date: Part 1

**Author's Disclaimer: No, I do not own Labyrinth or The Scream; all rights to respective owners. I just own all of the other random characters. Also, a reminder for formatting. **If you see **words in bold**, then those are Sarah's personal thoughts, as she tells the story. If _words are italicized_, then it is a conversation that happened in that past that Sarah is telling. If the words are normal, then it is the conversation between Sarah and the bridal party.** Here's Chapter 3, part 1: fluff and smiles. Part 2 is coming soon. Enjoy!**

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How To Woo Properly

Chapter 3: The First Date, Part 1

"I should have realized at the time that he was planning something, especially since he was in front of everyone, and he is a diva of the highest degree and likes to have an audience."

"So, what happened, Sarah?"

"Well, Karen, I got prepared for the date as I would any other date. The only problem was that I still didn't know _where _we were going on our date, even by Thursday morning. I finally had to call him to ask, only to have him tell me that I was choosing the place and time! Simple enough. I wanted to go somewhere close by, a little more normal location where less mishaps were likely to happen where Jareth and I could be alone. I chose my favorite hang-out spot, a diner with the best burgers and shakes in town."

"Really, Sarah? There of all places?"

"Geesh, Jessie, you make it sound like a terrible place or something. Granted, Jareth looked equally saddened by my choice."

"That's a clue… he was interested!"

"Yes, yes, I see that now. But, I'm still getting to the second part of the evening."

"The second part? There's more?"

"Of course there was! Silly geese, you really think I would go to the diner in my favorite party dress? Certainly not! Jareth brightened up considerably when I mentioned that I wanted to go to the new club in town."

"I bet he did. It is a little more romantic; though it has a lot of people there. Hard to talk, don't you think?"

"Well, to be honest, the diner was where I wanted to do all the talking, while I really just wanted to go to the club so that I could dance with him. You remember how he dances, right? The way he just stares into your eyes, and everything else just disappears? How you just float in the air with him? How you feel as if all of your dreams have just come true?"

"Easy, girl, not all of us have danced with him, and you are making us quite jealous."

"Speak for yourself. I'm already fanning myself from the images. Where can I get some?"

"He's mine now, so keep looking. I guess I better not tell you about the rest of the night, then. Wouldn't want you girls to get too excited."

"Wrong! Now you _have _to tell us! There's still more?"

"Of course. That is just him dancing normally. And there's a video I'll show later from that night. Now, imagine that you are me, who has taken ballroom dancing before, spoiled by other male dancers who know the tango and waltz well. Suddenly, you are dancing with Jareth, who knows these dances so well, it is as though he created the dances originally. You are no longer two people dancing, there is only the two of you combined in perfect motion."

"You never did tell us why you decided to start taking ballroom dancing in high school and college, dear. Why did you decide to?"

"Let's put it this way, Karen. It was inspired by a dream. A beautiful dream, where I was a princess, dancing in a dizzying ballroom, with my own king. I never wanted that dream to end."

**I still recall the beautiful moment of the peach dream. In the initial confusion of entering the ballroom, I knew that I was looking for someone. Who it was changed slightly in the process of that dream, but it wasn't long before I was seeing one particular face, again and again. And then he began to sing, sweeping me into the gentle waltz, where no one else mattered. I was the beautiful princess, and he was my prince. Together, he showed me how to dance, as well as wooed me with his entrancing words. Those words haunted me for years to come. Some part of me had been upset for a period of time because I had been drugged and romanced, but I got over it, even forgave Jareth for doing it because he was doing what was necessary. It was still worth it in the end to have that. It was a dream to remember. **

"So you wanted to have that dance again?"

"No. I wanted to be able to do that dance with whoever I was with. As I got older, that whoever turned into my boyfriend at the time. To be able to have that special moment with him."

**Even if it could never compare to that dream.**

"So you were curious to see if Jareth was a good dancer?"

"Oh no, I already knew from earlier that he knew how to dance, and I was excited to have a real partner."

"Of course. So tell us more of the date."

"Well, we got to the diner, and we talked very easily for most of the night. Bubbles were blown into our shakes, fries were thrown at one another in addition to the occasional 'Don't defy me', and a piece of cake was ordered, much to my amusement. There was plenty more to catch up on in each other's lives, and everything was fine until Dick showed up rather unexpectedly. I still remember that interaction well."

"Jareth and I were just talking when someone rather suddenly froze in front of our table. I hadn't paid attention at first to the people around me, and it turned out to be Dick! I never saw a man look more contrite or afraid."

**Or quite as though he would rather be in the bog of eternal stench rather than be in the presence of Jareth. It was vastly amusing.**

"He had the look of the man from the painting "The Scream" as he looked concerned upon seeing Jareth."

"_I am so, so sorry for bothering you two. I never even meant to see either of you, truly."_

**And he looked it too.**

"_But while I am here, let me say how sorry I am for taking the breakup so hard and for trying to crash your graduation party. I will never again doubt that Jareth exists or that he cares about you. Please forgive me for all my previous bad behavior. Now if you will excuse me, I am meeting other friends here tonight. Bye!"_

"And just like that, he was gone. Never had I been so surprised in my entire life! To see the complete change in attitude and behavior toward the two of us. I was glad to see it. The night continued pleasantly after that little chat."

"_Exactly where are we going for dancing, Sarah? You still haven't told me the name."_

"_Oh, I think you will like it. It's called The Labyrinth."_

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**Author's Notes: Another chapter! The structure for this chapter was radically different from what I first had in mind, thanks to some very fluffy plot bunnies given to my protection by Pirate-Yashimaru (** ) **and Kyndsie (** )**. It's flufftastic! Oh, the many joys of dancing! Sarah is allowed to wax romantic right before her wedding I think. Especially if it involves Jareth. I hope you enjoyed reading this. I was afraid it would be too long if I put all of it together. You will understand when you see the length of the next chapter. Thanks for reading and commenting!**

Labyrinthlovers5: Yay! Thanks so much for letting me know; I'm so glad to hear it! I'm trying to keep up with my timeline, so that you can keep on reading more. Hearing positive feedback always encourages more! Thanks for reading and commenting again!

BrittanyMariie: Awesome! Seeing that makes me very happy! I hope it stays interesting after reading this chapter, as I think this one is very cute and silly. Thank you so much for reading and reviewing it! :D

Buggus264: *insert happy sigh of joy and dance* I'm trying! I am always worried that my humor won't be understood, so I am glad to hear that you are loving it! There's going to be plenty more, just you wait and read. Thanks for taking the time to read and comment!

Notwritten: It's good to hear from you again! Still smiling, and I hope you are, too! Take care and thanks for reading and reviewing!


	4. Chapter 4: The First Date: Part 2

**Author's Disclaimer: No, I do not own Labyrinth or the characters; all rights to respective owners. I just own all of the other random characters. Also, a reminder for formatting. **If you see **words in bold**, then those are Sarah's personal thoughts, as she tells the story. If _words are italicized_, then it is a conversation that happened in that past that Sarah is telling. If the words are normal, then it is the conversation between Sarah and the bridal party.** Here's the second part of the date, with so much dancing. Enjoy!**

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How To Woo Properly

Chapter 4: The First Date, Part 2

"There was a bit of snickering as I told Jareth the name of the club we were going to."

"So how do you plan to keep me to yourself at the club, Jareth? There are quite a few people there."

"I have my ways, Precious. If anyone comes toward you with ill intentions, believe me when I say that they will soon understand the meaning of bad luck," Jareth said darkly.

**More like, "There's a reason I have goblins, Precious. They are good for causing mischief." Small details. **

"_Oh dear. I worry for all young men tonight."_

"_You are in good hands tonight."_

"After that, we went to the club. It was aptly named for the combination of two floors and three oddly-placed staircases whose locations confused most attendees by the end of the night when they were a little out of it. It didn't help that the club had been converted from a laser tag location, and so as a result, the dance floor was in the center of the floor, while the hallways twisted about with bizarre colors and many small private corners for hiding. Once we were on the floor, Jareth was ready to give me a night to remember."

"The typical pop and techno music played, and soon Jareth began to twirl me about before we started to swing dance with one another. Jareth had no shame in trying some dirty dancing, pulling me close whenever possible, or occasionally throwing me up in the air to surprise me. Throughout, though, all eyes were locked on one another as Jareth led me, softly singing my song to me. Our rhythm was one as he led me to the darker corners of the room and back, never losing contact with me at any point."

_With practiced ease, Jareth drew closer and closer to Sarah, taking one of her hands in his, intertwining their fingers as he whispered, "Your strengths fill my weaknesses, just as my strengths fill your weaknesses. Only you, Sarah. Only you."_

"Our heads were now bare centimeters away from touching, and I could feel his breath on my face. Our noses touched."

**Never had I felt that twinge of excitement before like that. **

"It was then that the real world finally came back to kill the moment as someone yelled, 'Just kiss her already!'"

**Jareth looked like he wanted to bog one or several of the people in the large crowd now surrounding them.**

"As it was, when we had started dancing together, we had a small group watching curiously, but the longer we danced, the larger the group became that watched. The last minute had been particularly hard for them to continue watching as Jareth leaned in to kiss me. The catcalls and soulful stares from the other people only increased with time."

"No doubt Jareth would have liked to steal me away to try to recreate the moment, but it was right after we broke apart that the crowd groaned and screamed, 'Encore, encore! Dance! Again! Dance magic dance!'"

_A grin of pleasure crossed Jareth's face. "Let go of me for a second will you? I want to leave them with a lasting impression."_

"_Jareth. I'm worried."_

"_I'm here for you and you alone. I'll make sure you are fine."_

"_No, I am worried about keeping the screaming girls off of _you_."_

"_Oh, Precious, how I love it when you talk like that. It's just one dance."_

"He then proceeded quite confidently to strut onto the floor, now in tight leather pants and an open, white poet shirt, and so I decided to take a video of him to show everyone else. I simply had no idea what to expect, for when Jareth decides to dance, magic happens.

**That, and lots of glitter.**

_With Jareth in the center of the floor, he started dancing and singing. "You remind of the babe."_

_Someone shouted, "What babe?"_

"And from there, Jareth continued on, as though he were created to sing that song. That he pointed to me every time he shouted "babe" or "baby" gave rise to a great deal of blushing on my part, and more screams from the crowd."

"The main problem with me recording Jareth was that several men seemed to have taken an interest in me. Once in a while, one would creep just a little closer to me, until one got within a foot of me, when he suddenly yelled in pain, 'Ow!'"

**I saw those three goblins around me. I just smiled and continued on. **

"Soon, another guy tried to get close, and it was not long before he yelled 'Ow!' twice, wincing and jumping on one foot as he hobbled away from me. I tried not to laugh and failed miserably. Another guy soon tried with less success, and he was clutching his shins while hissing with pain."

"Finally, one of the men picked up on the inability of other men to talk to me, so he tried a new way, by trying to talk to me from a distance."

"_Hey, Sarah! How are you? I just wanted to-"_

**I turned to talk to him, but when I saw that his mouth was moving, but no sound was coming out, I knew the goblins had something to do with this. It was just easier to turn back to watching Jareth.**

"But he didn't seem to have anything to say, so I just kept watching Jareth."

"Then, another guy came by rather hurriedly before anything could happen, and he started with 'Sarah darling', and then stopped."

**I saw him out of the corner of my eye, before he suddenly disappeared before my eyes. I thought it best to investigate by asking the goblins.**

"_**Where did that guy go?"**_

"_**Oh, you no want to know, Lady Sarah. Bad place. Very bad place."**_

"_**I need to know. Please tell me."**_

"_**But is very, very bad! You sure?"**_

"_**Yes, please."**_

"_**It's, it's thebogofeternalstench!" he said as he cowered slightly.**_

"_**I see. Thank you."**_

"I saw Jareth, who looked angry for a moment, before smiling innocently at me as though nothing had happened. He mouthed, 'Only us.'"

"I turned to the other guy talking, and suddenly, he was gone! Just like that! He must have taken one look at Jareth's face, because boy did he run fast! I was glad he was gone. There are some benefits to having Jareth around it seems."

"After the dance ended, a large gaggle of girls swarmed upon Jareth, some I would swear were drooling at the mouth. One said, 'Please take me home!', while others said, 'Take me instead!' or 'Date me!'"

_Jareth smirked. "Why don't you say these things to me?"_

"He only deserved my raised eyebrows of 'Really? Dream on.'"

_Jareth smiled pleasantly before saying to the girls, "I am sorry ladies, but I am already taken. I am in no humor at present to give consequence to young ladies who are slighted by other men. You had better return to your partner and enjoy his smiles, for you are wasting your time with me." _

"With that little speech, Jareth lazily wandered over to me and then led me out. I was glad to finally leave."

"_See Sarah? I told you no one would come between us."_

"_Define between."_

_Jareth only smiled. He then added, "Who was that one fellow who disappeared? You actually looked happy to see him go."_

"_Oh him? He is a little annoying and tends to hit on me at odd moments."_

"In that case, it is a good thing that he is gone."

**We both knew exactly where he was, and we shared that smile between us. No doubt he would be taught some manners before he saw you again.**

"After that, we went back to my place, where I suggested a movie to wind down. The only problem was that after so much dancing, I was tired. Jareth was quite pleased and willing to have me start to lean into him as I drifted off during the movie, until the end of the movie when I was fast asleep. That I fell asleep in his arms was the perfect way to end the evening."

"Somehow, he managed to carry me back to my bed, doing the gentlemanly thing by simply putting me onto the bed and pulling the covers over me. And though I was never conscious for that part, I would swear that I heard him whisper in my ear, 'Sleep well, my darling. If you should ever need me, I'm only a call away, ready to hold you and take care of you.'"

"I woke up in the morning to see a note and a rose on my bed stand stating that he had a wonderful night and that he hoped to do it again soon. Now, let me show you that video from The Labyrinth."

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**Author's Notes: Jareth is very smooth in arranging their time together, methinks. I wish I knew how to make gifs, as I would totally try to make the video at the club. The structure for this chapter was radically different than what I first had in mind, thanks to some very fluffy plot bunnies given to my protection by Pirate-Yashimaru and Kyndsie. It's flufftastic! Also, bonus points if you can spot the Jane Austen reference! Also, I recently had someone volunteer to be a beta for my stories, so this story is going to be updated a little more slowly as a result. I just want to make this as enjoyable as possible, so if I only update once a week, now you know why. I hope you enjoyed reading this. Thanks for reading/commenting!**

SVJohnson8721: Yay! I'm so glad you think so! I try to make stories as naturalistic as possible, with regard to characters and plot. I always try to imagine what would happen in certain situations, so if you can see it, then my work here is done. Puns are a necessary part of humor and life. I'm an engineer, so I use that as my excuse to write as many as I do, because the more the merrier, the way I see it. Thanks so much for reading and commenting!

Notwritten: Awesome! If you could see me now, I am definitely smiling. Any time I see your name, I tend to start to smile. Thanks a lot for reviewing and reading!

Buggus264: Indeed, more fluff! And there is more where that came from, eventually. It wouldn't be a proper story if it didn't have lots of fluff in it. It's my favorite to write too. Awww, thank you so much! That was sweet of you. You are equally awesome, and never forget it. Thank you for taking the time to read and comment!


	5. Chapter 5: He's Everywhere!

**Author's Disclaimer: No, I do not own Labyrinth, nor the characters. All rights go to their respective owners. Back to Sarah describing her awkward situation with Jareth, as only she can. Since this is Sarah's POV throughout, I am going to experiment with a new format for explaining the action. **If you see **words in bold**, then those are Sarah's personal thoughts, as she tells the story. If _words are italicized_, then it is a conversation that happened in that past that Sarah is telling. If the words are normal, then it is the conversation between Sarah and the bridal party.** Sorry for changing suddenly, but I wanted to make it more clear. It's time to see what Jareth has in mind for the long-term. Enjoy!**

How to Woo Properly

Chapter 5: He's Everywhere!

"Well, after that night; I was still not sure what to think. After waking up in a haze (from happy dreams) and finding the letter and rose from Jareth, I didn't know what to do next. I felt guilty about giving him expectations, so that was what made my decision easy."

"Did you give him another chance? You should have, after such a night."

"No, Karen, not right away at least. Don't you recall me telling you a short time ago that I wanted to swear off all men?"

"But it's Jareth!"

With a disbelieving shake of my head, the story continued.

"Anyways, after making that decision, I thought it best to call Jareth, so I did. And we talked."

"What _exactly _did you talk about, Sarah?"

"You know what I intended to say, even if there was that one moment during the talk that surprised me."

"Now you have to tell us. Details!"

"He wanted to know if I enjoyed myself, and I told him I did. From there, he seemed ready to jump rapidly into talk of the 'next date', so I quickly disabused him of that notion. When he heard that, though, he seemed insistent upon meeting in person to discuss it. Something about it being more personal. Before I knew it, he had come over, and we were able to talk."

**Naturally, he wanted to talk in person. More like, we had the entire conversation in person the moment I was dressed and had just eaten when he came. Breaking the news was not easy, but it had to be done. What a conversation!**

"_At present, Jareth, we cannot date anymore. Sorry, Jareth. As nice as last night was, and I really did enjoy myself, I am just not ready to be in a relationship right now. I am not ready for another relationship, after being in one for two years. You deserve better, not to be my rebound. I'd rather wait on us, and get to know each other a little better over time first. Let's face it: we still don't know that much about each other, which needs to change. Also, before the date, I swore to myself that I would lay off all men for at least six months so that I could adjust to being by myself again, and I intend to keep that promise to myself. I hope you can understand."_

"_So, if you intended to not be with men, why go on a date with me?"_

"_Because, like you, I keep my word. After you asked, I said I would, and I did. Yes, I was curious about what it would be like to actually date you, and now my curiosity has been satisfied."_

"_Is that all you feel? Just curiosity? Anything more?"_

"_Am I supposed to feel more, after the last couple months?"_

_Clearly, he thought so._

"_I'm just not ready, Jareth, and I don't know enough about you to make me feel comfortable around you. We are practically strangers. Let's just get to know each other first. At some point in the future, I could see something happening, but not now. Let's just be friends."_

"_Just friends," he scoffed. "I was still cheated out of part of our date, Sarah."_

"_Hardly. I did as you asked. What am I missing?"_

"_We missed out on the most important part of the first date: the goodbye kiss."_

"_It happens."_

"_It happens? It just happens? It certainly does not just happen. Skipping the goodbye kiss is not the way it is done. I think I deserve that if nothing else." Jareth's voice continued to rise, as more sarcasm became evident._

"_What if I don't want to kiss you?"_

"_Why not? What have you got to lose? If you are going to pity me by going on a date with me, you can at least allow me one kiss. That's all I ask. Just one kiss. You have kissed me before, after all. Is that too much to ask?"_

"_Yes."_

"_Hardly. I have no hidden agenda here, I just want to… give you an idea of what to expect if we were to go on another date together, and you can have what you were supposed to have last night at the club. I think that in order to make an informed decision about whether or not we should date, you should allow me to kiss you, so that you can have all the details. You might change your mind after experiencing this kiss."_

"_Really. Nothing happened or changed the first time. You have that much faith in your kissing abilities?"_

"_Naturally."_

"_Fine. But just one."_

**I also added that he could not rearrange time, but I am not about to tell all these ladies that. They would be so confused.**

"_Good."_

To the ladies, I added, "Going into the kiss, I knew I had no desire to kiss or date him. Having been kissed by other men in the past, I knew what to expect, but, this is Jareth, so you never know for sure what might happen. Thus my history of underestimating his presence in my life since college continued nicely."

"Jareth sidled up to me then, towering over me with a mischievous gleam in his otherwise stern face. As he moved his head closer to mine, the sternness was replaced with a soft smile that calmed me instantly. And then came his hands, each one languidly taking a hold of a cheek, locking my face with his."

"_My Precious Sarah."_

"It was almost a whisper, but the endearment brought his lips mere centimeters away from mine, letting the warmth cover my face, before his lips tentatively covered mine and brought even more warmth with it, deepening the kiss almost immediately. And he would not let go."

"There were many sensations that came with that kiss, but the most powerful one was the feeling of warmth that spread throughout my body. It was like magic, the way things seemed to slow down, as I felt each limb in my body become warmer. It was heat, not like sunshine that could burn, but more like the humidity in the air, the way it soaks through your skin and then lingers there. And it just wouldn't leave.

"This sensation of warmth was rather foreign to me, especially after being with Dick for two years. You see, when he had kissed me, it was an awkward hug at best, his arms holding me right below the shoulders, refusing to cling around the neck, yet not underneath the arms, so that you cannot be properly squeezed. His kisses were similar: cold and awkward. I had gotten used to it, so imagine my surprise as I began comparing the two of them (I didn't count my first kiss with Jareth because it was a simple peck, compared to this). It was too easy. Almost too quickly, Jareth replaced Dick in my basis for comparison, since once Jareth got started, there was no stopping him."

"Jareth's hands, while gloved, are still quite soft, and smell good. Now, imagine him without the gloves, as his hands pull my face toward him, and once I am anchored in, his hands attempt to bring the rest of my body into the kiss, sliding down my neck, stroking the collarbone, and then, using the style of an airport security guard (but much more handsy) to slide along my shoulders, arms, and hands, he takes a hold of my hands. My hands are now being pressed together around his waist, and then he tries to mirror the action, cradling my body as though it were the most natural thing to do."

**Having his hands encircle me, then squeeze my tightly; that really jolted me. It was enough that I felt as though I was wanted, that I was not close enough to him for his liking, but, to feel that warmth, after the cold hugs of another, really made me come alive. I felt whole, and truly happy.**

"Slowly, Jareth separated himself from me, applying less and less pressure to the lips and waist, and finally, his hands came back to my face, so that as our lips parted, he was still holding my face."

"_So Sarah, how do you like my kisses?"_

_After biting back a reply about it being a warm, tasty piece of cake, I opted to smile. _

"_They felt good. I haven't felt that much warmth in a kiss in a long time. Thank you for that. I think that alone should keep me going for a few months."_

"Jareth looked surprised by my reply, but he took the hint and removed himself completely. The heat was still there, though, tingling away. Jareth left soon after, promising me that we would see more of each other during the next six months, which was great. I was rather surprised that he took defeat so well, considering that we are talking about him of all people."

"Of course, that was before I realized what else he had planned. The next three months were great, as I got to catch up with friends, especially Jessie as I helped her plan her wedding. Everything was great, until I began to have the dreams."

"One night, I had a dream that I was dressed in my favorite black dress, and Jareth was in all white, even his tight pants. There we were, and then he smiled and bowed to me. The next night, he bowed, and then took my hand. The following night, we were actually dancing together."

"At that point, I was getting a little weirded out **and annoyed with his persistence** by having that dream three nights in a row, but it got stranger still when the next night, we were dancing again with each other. The only difference now was that we were dressed as though we were back at the club. Jessie, you were getting worried about me, so I bet you were relieved when I had a dreamless night. That, however, was short-lived."

"By the next night, I was not sure what to expect, so when I was dancing with Jareth again, this time with us both in normal, casual clothing, I was confused. The next morning, as I walked into town to go to the bank, I was shocked when I actually I _saw _Jareth on the sidewalk, in the exact same outfit of the night before. He was just walking down the street, talking intently with someone, and they were coming my way. It was only a matter of time before our paths met. Of course, Jareth spoke first."

"_Sarah, what a _surprise _to see you today! A great pleasure." _

**Sure, your Majesty. I'm sure you had nothing to do with those dreams….**

"He bowed before taking my hand and kissing it, while I tried valiantly to pull it away from him. That didn't work, so I settled for pulling it away quickly once he loosened his grip, giving him as cold a look as possible. For some reason, this didn't daunt him in the least."

"_Of course, Jareth. I'm just surprised to see _you_ around these parts. I thought you would be back home seeing to all of your duties and such by now, as I am sure it gets quite busy."_

"_Normally, Sarah, I am quite busy, but I always make time a couple times a week for friends, such as with Dave here. He is very intelligent, and a great listener."_

"That was when I did a double-take, realizing that this was Dave, and not just any Dave, but Jessie's Dave, the engineer. A tall, lanky guy with an abundance of mousy brown hair who never warms to anyone. Yes, he is very protective of Jessie, but he still barely spoke to me then! And here he was, talking to Jareth. Him of all people! You can imagine my surprise to see him with Dave, Jessie's then fiancé, so I had to see if this was actually happening, and not just something Jareth had concocted so that we would meet again."

"_Dave, it's a small world. I didn't realize you had talked that much to Jareth. Jessie hasn't mentioned that you were talking that much."_

"_Well, we had exchanged numbers at your graduation party, after seeing the way he seemed to care for you, so when I saw him a couple weeks later by chance out on the street, seemingly walking aimlessly, I asked him if everything was fine, and he wanted to know if you were okay. I said that I thought you were, that Jessie had not mentioned anything amiss, and he seemed satisfied. I thought it best to see what his intentions toward you were, so we talked."_

"_And we men have continued to talk since. We discovered that we both work with some rather imbecilic creatures, and it is nice to commiserate with someone over it. Naturally, we also talk about…. manly things as well."_

"Manly_ things. Really descriptive, Jareth. Care to elaborate? Or just too manly to be heard by mere female ears?"_

"_Don't mind him, Sarah, just sports-type stuff that we talk about when alone. He is peculiar for his lack of interest in one sport or sports team. I don't know if he even likes soccer, which is odd, considering where he is from."_

"_I like kicking things as much as the next person. Sarah knows."_

"_Yet, you don't watch nor had even heard of soccer before I asked you about it. Very odd if you ask me. I'm a guy who only likes a select few, and you like even less than me."_

"_Anyways, as nice as it has been to catch up with both of you gentlemen, I still need to go to the bank before it closes. We should talk some time, Jareth, assuming that I can drag you away from your _manly pursuits_. And I'll see you later this week, Dave, when I come for steak night. See you!"_

"_Farewell, Sarah. I look forward to seeing you more in the upcoming months. I'll be around. Still a couple more before you stop swearing off us men, I believe?"_

**The comment was casual enough, even if I at least knew better.**

"_Yes, still a little more time. I'm enjoying the single life. Bye!"_

**I got out of there as fast as I could. I thought that that would be the end of awkward meetings with Jareth, but I was wrong. Considering that, for the rest of the time conveniently within the six month span, I was having dreams of Jareth several times a week, I started to not become surprised when I always saw him the day after a dream. It was really annoying at first, but with each new chat, it became easier to warm to Jareth, as he is good at being charming when he wants to.**

"But that was not the end of the dreams, even if I had not told you, Jessie. I still had a couple more of him, and it was odd, because when I did dream of him, I always did see him in that outfit of the night before. First, I saw him at the park. Then, the library. Finally, the grocery store buying frozen chicken. They were all little sightings, except for the grocery store, when I literally bumped into him as I turned into that aisle. I started to come to accept that it would happen. It was at the grocery store when he finally suggested that we 'have coffee together sometime soon' with a significant look, so I agreed, hoping that we would finally get to know each other. A small gift on my part."

**And you know what happens when you give Jareth anything: he takes it and runs with it as fast as his tight little pants can manage. **

**Author's Notes: At last! This chapter has been giving me much trouble in figuring out how to make the time logistics work. I think I finally made it work, thanks to more plot bunnies. Also, this story was supposed to be from Sarah's first person POV, and after rereading through the first few chapters, I realized that I have failed to do that, hence the retroactive changes in the rest of the earlier chapters. This new style is a little abrupt, but I hope that all of it makes sense now. I have never done first POV before, so this is very new and weird for me, so I apologize for the shift. Please let me know what you think of it (good and bad, as I want it to be readable). Thanks for reading/commenting!**

**BIG thanks for my beta on this story, Kyndsie! She helped me get this chapter into shape with some good ideas for fixing. She is awesome!**

Buggus264: Indeed. Sometimes a simple smile conveys everything needed, in the story and otherwise. Thanks so much for letting me know, and for reading! :D

BrittanryMariie: Yay! I'm so happy to hear it! I hope you enjoy this chapter too! Thanks for commenting!

Guest: Bingo! We have a winner! I would send you cookies, but as there is no name, just come and find me, and I will gladly give them to you whenever. Having a fellow Austen fan notice this gives me hope. Dark!Jareth is great, as I cannot get enough of him either, though he is not found in as many stories. I'm glad the fluff will do, as I can do that :D Sorry about the late time in this one coming, but I hope the length will make up for it. Thank you for reading and reviewing!

Labyrinthlovers5: Yes! *fist pump in air* Fluff and dancing always make a day better. With your approval, I am much relieved. This chapter is a little different in how things work out, alas with less general fluffiness, but there will be more good times to come. Thanks for continuing to read and comment!


	6. Chapter 6: Small Battles

How to Woo Properly

**Author's Disclaimer: No, I still do not own Labyrinth; all rights go to their respective owners. Nor do I own the rights to any of the games/jokes/songs mentioned, or a motorcycle. I just like playing those games, and the Biker Jareth idea comes from startraveller776 ( u/1643426/startraveller776) , from Attack of the Vicious Plot Bunnies (amazing story, you should read it if you haven't). Just trying to spread the idea around more, as it deserves more attention. **Also, if you see **words in bold**, then those are Sarah's personal thoughts, as she tells the story. If _words are italicized_, then it is a conversation that happened in that past that Sarah is telling. If the words are normal, then it is the conversation between Sarah and the bridal party.** Anyway, Jareth is up to his usual tricks as he tries to reinsert himself in Sarah's life, and Sarah rather enjoys this part of the story. Enjoy! **

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Chapter 6: Small Battles

"In the past, the coffee shop used to be my favorite place to chill and do read because I always felt so comfortable there. That quickly changed after Jareth decided to join me."

"How could it stay that awkward, Sarah? You were both trying to get to know one another."

"You see, Karen, I think normally it would have worked out on its own, but Jareth is Jareth, so occasionally, things happen that you don't expect."

**Often. And then Jareth brushes it off as though it is the most normal thing in the world. Definitely the goblins' fault there. **

"It doesn't help any that Jareth likes to just appear whenever he feels like it, but at least once, he got what was coming toward him."

"What did you _do_?"

"Gee, Jessie, why so accusatory? You make it sound like I had something to do with it, when it was entirely Jareth's fault. I just happened to have an open cup of coffee."

"Sure, it just _happened_ that way."

"It really did! I was just about to turn around and head to my seat with my cup of coffee when, suddenly, Jareth was right there! I was a little startled. As always, Jareth was grinning at me."

"_Hello, Sarah, how _nice_ to see you here!"_

"_You, too, Jareth."_

"_Why don't you seem as enthused as me?"_

"_Probably because I just spilled hot coffee on your white shirt, ouch! I'm so sorry about that."_

"_What?"_

"After several moments of staring blankly, Jareth finally realized what I had meant, and looked down to see the dark brown stain now on his white shirt. I will fully admit that his face in that moment was priceless. However, it still made me feel bad for ruining the shirt. I was using all of the napkins I could get my hands on as I tried to wipe his shirt and apologize , without trying to show how awkward it made me feel."

"_Really, Jareth, I am so sorry. I am not usually this clumsy, but you were right behind me! And you surprised me by not announcing yourself, which is not wise to do when I have a large cup of coffee here. Good thing I hadn't picked up the cookies yet! How else can I help?"_

"_Enough. It's fine, Precious. I understand that you meant no harm, and I didn't mean to frighten you."_

"_But, but-"_

"_This is easily fixed. You forget who I am. It's alright, dearest. Let's go find a seat, shall we? Then we can continue talking at last."_

**It was bad enough that he decided to take both of my hands in his and kiss them gently to quiet me, but it was another to turn around and pick up the cookies. Suddenly, his shirt was white again, and my cup was miraculously full, as though nothing had happened. But I knew better, and it didn't sit well with me.**

"_That's fine. I usually sit over here so that I have a nice view as I read."_

"_Good. I fear you shall be a little more distracted from your reading today."_

"He totally earned the look I gave him then. I put the book away once I sat down so that we could talk fully, as though he expected me to do anything else when he was around. It was a little weird at first after the spill incident, but it got easier over that hour. We just kept talking, and at the end, he asked if I was planning to come tomorrow, to which I said I was. We shook hands upon parting the first time, as I was not yet ready for another of his hugs. "

"The next day, I turned around to find Jareth already sitting at the same table as yesterday, smirking and patting the chair next to him. I just shrugged my shoulders and joined him."

"_It's so good to see you again, Sarah. I'm glad we could talk so soon. We don't often talk when we see each other."_

_**Probably because we are too busy dancing to think of anything else.**_

"_Sometimes, a companionable silence is all that is needed. But, I'm glad we are talking now. I miss it."_

"_As do I."_

**He **_**tried**_** to put his arm around me, as though we were on a date, so I disabused him of that notion quickly by moving my chair. Not quite, Jareth, not quite yet.**

"_So, what do you want to talk about today?"_

"_How about our working life? I'm curious to hear how you get on in what you do."_

"_You have a better idea compared to most. I'm always busy with one silly thing or other. But, you know about me, whereas I know nothing about your career."_

"_Children's books for me."_

"_Writing them?"_

"_Yes, writing and illustrating. I really enjoy it. I used to tell stories to Toby, but now I don't have as many willing subjects."_

"_I can think of several dozen who would love to hear anything that you create, if you are interested."_

"_Really, you think they would?"_

"_Oh yes. They ask about you."_

"_In that case, I definitely will at some point in the near future. Thanks."_

"And that conversation continued in safe waters until Jareth made some more hints regarding dating, and then we got quiet again."

**More like I made a flippant remark about enjoying the single life, and Jareth responded with a little too much sarcasm. That was the beginning of sarcasm in our relationship.**

"We decided it best to stop while ahead, and I didn't see him again until I was in the library, this time doing some actual work. Jareth distracted me now and then, but mostly, he kept quiet and would bring me more coffee as I ran out. At the end, he mentioned how excited he was to be having steak the following night, which surprised me. But, remembering he was friends with Dave, I made that connection soon after, and then I left with him."

"I think it would have ended nicely, but as we walked out, Jareth put on his leather jacket that he always brought with him. I always assumed that he just brought it with him because he liked leather, and then I saw him hop on a motorcycle. Honestly, I was shocked. I know my mouth gaped for several moments, and that was all it took for Jareth to notice, smirk, blow me a kiss, and then ride off."

**I tried so hard to not think about him the whole rest of the day. That failed miserably. Secretly, I really wanted to just ride on the bike with him, just to know what it felt like to be on a bike. I'm still shocked that I dreamed that night about us dancing, and not riding the bike together. That's Jareth for you.**

"After having those talks with Jareth, I finally got a chance to talk with Jessie about Jareth and Dave when I came over for steak night. Jessie, do you remember that little chat?"

"Oh yes, I remember it well. You seemed so surprised by them talking."

"And somehow you weren't, despite never mentioning it to me anytime that we hung out during those months I wasn't with Jareth."

"I didn't want to bring it up, as it might be awkward, and you might think I did it because Jareth suggested it."

**Even though Jareth **_**did**_** on several occasions, much to his chagrin. I felt better after learning that from Jareth.**

"Either way, we discussed it so that I could learn how it happened."

"_Are we expecting Jareth tonight, too?"_

"_Of course. He loves steak. He has a healthy appetite."_

"_How do you know that?"_

"_Because he was here twice before this for dinner, including the one time you couldn't make it for steak night. Once he started talking to Dave more, he was invited. They get along so well together, and Dave knew you were supposed to come for steak. Jareth was so upset when he found out that you weren't going to make it."_

**Oh, I bet he was. He probably even bought a new pair of leather gloves to prepare properly.**

"_But, he really enjoyed the food - complimented me and everything - and then he went off to talk with Dave, as they always do. I still can't believe that he studied Political Science of all things."_

"_Well, he does work for the government, now."_

"_True, but still. He seems fit for greater things."_

_**You have no idea.**_

"It wasn't long after that when Jareth arrived. Of course, we all heard the motor bike before we saw him, so I had a few moments to compose myself before he arrived. Once he came in, he and Dave immediately started talking about their "manly stuff", letting us girls finish the food. Dinner was civil for the most part, and then, since we had four people, it was decided that we could have a game night."

"Game night with Dave and Jessie is no ordinary event, as you all know. They own so many games, and Dave is very competitive. As long as there are four people around, seeing a game appear is highly likely. The only problem, of course, is that Jareth is equally competitive. Thankfully, we were to have more game nights over the course of the next few months, with the number of people playing varying, but usually four."

"When it was just the four of us, Settlers Of Catan was the first choice, as Jareth caught on fast. He even went so far as to say that he would beat me at my own game, so I made it a habit whenever I played that game with him to always build on the opposite side of his resource so that I could block him as much as possible. He figured it out eventually, and then took delight in placing himself in odd places so that I put myself at a disadvantage, but I didn't care. I was too stubborn and defiant to care. Of all the times we played, he only won once, because he kept moving the robber onto my stuff, forcing me to trade with him."

**I'm sure the dice just happened to be seven three-quarters of the time he rolled that game. I'm still not sure if he was telling me or the dice to not defy him. If I "accidentally" slammed the door in his face that night as I left, he certainly didn't tell me.**

"When we didn't play Catan, we also tried Trivial Pursuit a couple times, but it was decided that the game was too boring with boys versus girls, since the girls won easily every time."

**It probably didn't help any that every time we girls got one right, we would sing "Another One Bites the Dust", just to needle the boys more. I thoroughly enjoyed myself.**

"The boys tried valiantly, but they were hindered by Jareth. Jareth does not know anything about current events, and even less about sports, despite all of the "manly talks" the boys shared, so we moved on to Cranium. That was interesting."

"As you also know, prior to Jareth coming to game night, Jessie and Dave were an unstoppable team who refused to have any other partner. This left me with Jareth on my team, who seemed happy with the arrangement."

**Biggest understatement of the year.**

"Jareth assured me that we would beat them, and he was right. We actually made a great team. Jareth has a wonderful voice, and so anything with humming was great, and we both had fun with charades. With words, I was a natural, and Jareth did well. Trivia was left to me. I had drawing down well, and somehow, whenever Jareth was drawing, I just knew what he was creating, even when he was blinded."

**Somehow, I kept getting mental images in my head, of the object or of the action as Jareth did it to me. That was different, albeit wrong in several ways.**

"Because of all that, we soon developed a rhythm together, and we easily won. As we kept on winning, we played that game less as well."

"When we had larger groups, we always played Apples to Apples. Those were great nights. I will always remember the first green card that Jareth won by my choosing. Jessie, don't ruin it."

"But, Sarah, it wasn't fair! He was playing to the judge."

"He just got lucky."

**Not really. He was just really smug and wanted to push it in my face.**

"I'll say. You had some pretty good choices, too."

"Yep. The green card was "sexy", and with six playing, along with the random one added, I had lots of choices."

"_And now the moment you all have been waiting for, the final seven! Sexy is best used to describe….math."_

"_Oh yeah, you are like the math student, and I am the math book, because you will solve all my problems."_

"_Such a groaner. Moving on. Something else that can be described as sexy is…. Sean Connery."_

"_Can I have him with extra butter?"_

"_Maybe. Depends on the other choices, as I know of a few that would beat him. Let's see, the next card is….my body. Really, guys, really?"_

"_But Sarah, you are really sexy."_

_**You just had to go there, didn't you Jareth, with that seductive grin and suggestive waggle of the eyebrows. Let there be catcalls.**_

"_Anyways, moving on. The next one is….high school. I would almost laugh, but I can't."_

"_It seemed like a good idea at the time."_

"_Try again. Okay, so the next one is…..Michael Jackson. I approve."_

"_Yes!"_

"_But I don't know if he beats Sean Connery. Let's see two left. The next one is….. a trampoline!"_

"_That's random. Is it polka-dotted, too?"_

"_Doesn't say, but let's move on to the last one. The final one is….. David Bowie!"_

"_Not fair! That is so playing to you! Everyone knows that you wrote that one in yourself, so of course you are going to choose it."_

"_Well, David Bowie is an automatic win for me, so whoever it is got really lucky. Alright, who lays the claim?"_

**I should have noticed the odd, more masculine slanting of the words on the card, but I didn't, not right away at first. I quickly learned my mistake.**

"_Right here, Precious. I'll take that as a personal favor, saying that you think I'm sexy."_

"_I said no such thing!"_

"_Ah, but you just gave me the card, no?"_

"_Just take it."_

**I grumbled a lot until it was my turn again, determined not to pick Jareth's anymore, but that didn't happen. He won all but one of my cards that night, and almost always did after that. I know he knows me well and all, but not that well! I tried kicking him under the table once, but when he started winking at me and wanted to know if we were going to play footsies more often, I just gave up. **

"Did you only play board games when you were all together?"

"Almost always, yes. But, once in a great while we would go and meet somewhere. One time, we went bowling. The night was great because I got to ride with Jareth on his bike, and while bowling, Jareth's balls kept going in the gutter. Jareth alternated the blame between me and the gremlins."

"It was you the whole time, Sarah."

"I was not! I only sashayed once in a while, or tried talking to other men while he was bowling so that I could not go over and try to distract him."

"Sure, Sarah. Just as Jareth didn't cheat in Apples to Apples. You could have _tried_ to follow my advice to just stay put."

"But the whole point of that, as you made it a point to do often _I might add_, was so that I could give him hints as we waited to play. You were trying to set us up!"

"It was only for your own good! I saw how much he liked you. And, I bet he would have _loved_ having you guide him."

"I'm just going to give up on this argument, and move on. I'm not going to win, clearly."

"You are marrying him for a reason, dear."

"Don't I know it."

"So how long did these game nights go on before something else happened, Sarah?"

"Like I said, several months. It was after one particular night of Apples to Apples when I gave him "addictive", "clever", "hot and bothered", and "talented". It was not my best night. Jareth, however, took that in the best way possible, so after giving me another ride home on his bike, despite my feeble protests I might add, he asked me out on another date. He wanted a second chance, and I was finally ready to give it to him."

**The kiss was long and warm. That night, I dreamed of Jareth in a lot of leather on his motorcycle. Happy thoughts indeed. **

~~~-SJSJSJSSJSJSJSJSJS-~~~~

**Author's Notes: *innocent eyes* It's all smooth sailing for Jareth now, right? Well, I can try, can't I? Not all dates are created equal, but as Sarah is willing, what could go wrong? Also, I really enjoyed thinking of words to use for Apples to Apples. My initial list for "sexy" had twenty-two on it, and then I began narrowing. My other top picks included dancing (realistic, for Sarah), leather and lace (it was hard to remove this one, but only Jareth would truly appreciate it, so no, sadly), nuclear power plants (this is just me, because I am a nuclear engineer), crystal balls/peaches (another pun at your expense, you are welcome), and pirates (naturally!). I chose the ones I did because high school and math are hilariously wrong (unless you actually enjoy math like me, and then math is sexy), Michael Jackson because he was almost in Labyrinth, Sean Connery because he is hot (as James Bond!), and trampolines are truly random. There are plenty others that I am missing to describe sexy Jareth (with both red and green), so feel free to mention any :-D Thanks for reading and commenting!**

Sorry, no beta this time, as Kyndsie needs sanity, and plenty of time to write her own stuff. I am still truly thankful for everything so far.

SVJohnson8721: Awww, thank you! That comment really made my day. I'm glad you liked it! Oh, really, a spin-off? That sounds interesting! I'm curious about where the holes will come in, but I guess I will have to wait until I read the rest of your story to find out. Unless, you somehow get more time and figure out a way to fill in the holes. Whichever is easier for you. Thanks for commenting!

Labyrinthlovers5: Yay! It had its moments of fluff, and this chapter will hopefully live up to those expectations for fluff and general silliness. Thanks for continuing to tell me what you think!

BrittanyMariie: Thank you dear! I'm glad I have your smile of approval! It gives me encouragement to want to write more. Thank you for the review!

Buggus264: Yes! Let there be more fluff! Personally, I can't get enough of the fluff, so I just want to insert it anywhere I can. The world needs to be fluffified, and I intend to help! Thank you for the comment!


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